Why would I spend so much time and energy writing Enneagram-related blogs about BTS, the K-pop musical group from South Korea? People have asked me this question, almost in disbelief. Why would an Enneagram teacher of nearly thirty years, the author of nine Enneagram books, an organizational consultant who uses the Enneagram extensively, and a consistent blog writer since 2009 focus so much time and energy on BTS?

The best answer I can give is I did this because I wanted to, without any particular reason or purpose to justify the time I’ve spent. I love their music. I have huge respect for them as a group and as individuals. That was enough for me to start writing. As I wrote, more possible reasons emerged, although these were not my initial motivation. Here they are:

What can we (I) learn from them?

In the back of my brain, I was wondering why Taylor Swift and BTS were so popular and successful globally. What were they tapping into from a socio-cultural perspective? What could I and others learn from them? That inquiry took me to consider the three human instincts – self-preserving, social and intimacy – and to do an analysis from that perspective. Thus came my first three BTS blogs. There was no plan for any more. And then….

What about typing people we don’t know (especially people in the public zone)?

Out of curiosity, I googled what people online were saying about BTS members’ Enneagram types. In general, I was not impressed with what I read. Some online comments had their types likely correct – for Jimin, V, Suga, J-Hope and Jin – but often for either the wrong reasons or for what I thought were superficial or highly interpretative reasons. In addition, people couldn’t figure out the types of RM and Jung Kook; for these two members, speculation was rampant and varied. Rarely did the speculative comments actually consider the two types that I came to think they might be: RM as an Enneagram One and Jung Kook as an Enneagram Six. At that point, I wanted to figure it out what their types might be, at least to the best of my abilities. What made this very intriguing is that I could not rely primarily on what BTS members said because I don’t speak Korean. So I had to attune my typing skills to patterns of body language, non-verbal communication, and direct quotes, with references for each quote checked out through multiple reliable sources. Helping this endeavor is that there were so many videos of them, even from their pre-debut days. BTS members are remarkably consistent in how they talk, what they talk about, and how they behave in a multitude of unscripted videos spanning more than a decade.

The importance of not overcomplicating the typing process

I kept my typing process to type only, although I could have included many more Enneagram aspects since I know these well and have taught, written about and used them for decades: arrows, wings, fixations, passions, holy ideas, virtues, Centers of Intelligence, and subtypes. These aspects of the system can be useful in typing and can also be major distractions. I just wanted to discipline myself to typing using type only rather than overcomplicating the process.

Keeping my research focused on type only, plus sticking to what I could hear and see with my own eyes, kept me more systematically objective while allowing me to make fewer inferences. An inference, by definition, is an interpretation or conjecture and may or may not be accurate.

Just as an example, many online commenters described Jung Kook as “shy.” Shy is an inference based on what some observed in his behavior, but it is an interpretation or a conjecture. Here’s an example. Is Jung Kook actually shy or did he stand behind many of the other BTS members during interviews when he was younger because (a) he was the youngest among them; (b) he didn’t know what to expect so he felt more comfortable standing behind; (c) was he naturally cautious and careful so he felt more protected this way; or (d) some other reason. Only Jung Kook would actually know whether or not he is or was “shy.” Interestingly, RM was asked during a group interview who among them was the most “shy;” RM said Jin. Jung Kook was not mentioned.

My bucket list

I’ve never had a “bucket list” at any point in my life and sometimes wondered why. The conclusion I’ve come to is that I’ve done many things over my life, so there wasn’t anything I really wanted to do that I hadn’t done or couldn’t do if I wanted to. Then came BTS.

And now there is one item on my “bucket list.” I really want to go to a live BTS concert, which can’t happen until 2025 anyway given that the last of them finish their military service a year from now. But, tickets are nearly impossible to get, so great is the demand. And then something extraordinary happened. One of my close friends in Singapore has a friend in South Korea who might be able to get us two tickets when the time comes. It would be a miracle! I hope this happens but if not, I’m continuing to send my wish into the Universe; amazing things can happen. Was this why I wrote all these blogs?

Unintended possibilities from the BTS blogs

In retrospect, maybe these things could happen, although none were my intention:

• These blogs turned out to be nuanced profiles of seven out of the nine Enneagram types. In a sense, they shed light on these seven types for those of you who are interested in subtlety.
• Typing is not easy, but it is not that hard either. We can make it hard if we don’t fully understand the types, we focus on behaviors only, we make interpretations that may be our projections, or we add too many elements of the system beyond just type. Adding the Enneagram system’s complexities can often confuse more than clarify at the typing stage. These blogs show how to use type and patterns only.
• Some Enneagram-savvy people might learn to enjoy BTS and even perceive K-pop music differently. BTS are really artists.
• Some ARMYs (BTS’ fanbase) may get interested in the Enneagram or already know it and pursue the Enneagram more deeply; there are millions of ARMY worldwide.

So no more BTS blogs, at least for now. I guess my kidnappers will no longer return me! Enjoy one more BTS music video: “Boys with Love.”

About Ginger

Ginger Lapid-Bogda PhD, author of nine Enneagram books, is a speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach. She provides certification programs and training tools for business professionals around the world who want to bring the Enneagram into organizations with high-impact business applications. TheEnneagramInBusiness.com | ginger@theenneagraminbusiness.com